climate change impacts and adaptation: a view from canada scotland and climate change getting it...
TRANSCRIPT
Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation:
A View from Canada
Scotland and Climate Change
Getting it Right: International Perspectives on climate change
and the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill
The Scottish Parliament27 March 2009
Ian Burton
Natural Resources Canada: National Assessment Environment Canada, Adaptation Impacts
Research Division Ontario Ministry of the Environment and the
Expert Panel Thea Dickinson, Burton Dickinson Consulting Ltd.
Acknowledgements to:
From Impacts to Adaptation 2007: Canada in a Changing Climate
From Impacts to Adaptation 2007: Canada in a Changing Climate
A Balanced Response to Climate Change:
Mitigation Reduce emissions &
increase sinks of greenhouse gases to halt/prevent climate change
Change light bulbs to cap & trade program
Adaptation Respond to impacts of
changing climate moderate harm or exploit beneficial opportunities
Water conservation to integrated water strategy
From Impacts to Adaptation 2007: Canada in a Changing Climate
First national-scale assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation in Canada since the Canada Country Study (1997)
Goals: Highlight advances made in
understanding Canada’s vulnerability to climate change in past decade
Provide a knowledge foundation that informs adaptation decision-making and policy development in a non-prescriptive manner
• Vulnerability greater owing to: high climate sensitivity of resources, limited economic diversification, more restricted access to services, strong linkages to the land.
• In North, rates of warming have been, and will be greatest in world - impacts already significant.
• Adaptive capacity is also being eroded by other stresses (social, political, cultural and economic).
Resource-dependent and Aboriginal communities are particularly vulnerable to climate changes. This vulnerability is magnified in the Arctic.
From Impacts...
From Impacts...
Reduced glacier cover
Permafrost degradation
Earlier onset of spring
Reduced snow cover
Increased plant productivity
Reduced ice cover
Increased coastal erosion
Lower lake and river levels
Changing animal distributions
Increased coastal erosion
• Impacts of recent extreme weather events highlight the vulnerability of Canadian communities and critical infrastructure to climate change.
Ice Storm (1998)$5.4 billion in
estimated costs945 injuries
Wildfires (2003)$700 million in estimated costs
45 000 evacuations
Hurricane Juan (2003)$200 million in estimated costs
8 deaths
Saguenay Floods (1996)$1.7 billion in
estimated costs10 deaths
From Impacts...
With the “best case” emission scenario (B1 green line) global surface mean temperature continues to rise up to and beyond the end of the century.
The Adaptation Imperative
Weather Disasters: Overall and Insured Losses
The Three Myths of Adaptation
1. Adaptation is only local and regional and environmental No, it is also global and strategic.
2. Adaptation is antithetical to Mitigation No, the better Adaptation requirements are understood
the stronger the case for mitigation.
3. Adaptation is Defeatist No adaptation builds social resilience.
Ontario Response
Establish Climate Secretariat in Premier’s Office Establishment of an Ontario Expert Panel on Climate Change
Adaptation. Mainstreaming adaptation into all agencies:
Water Natural resources/ecosystems Infrastructure Energy Agriculture Health Emergency management Education
Ontario Expert Panel
• Development of a long term Adaptive Strategy
• Enhancing Provincial Government Capacity
• Working with Communities/stakeholders
• Developing tools, incentives and regulations
Canadian Communities Guidebook
• Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainable development are often developed separately at the local government and community level.
• Recognition of the need to integrate climate risks into development priorities and decision making is the principal driving force behind the development of this project.
• The Guidebook provides a method for integrating adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development.
Further Information
Natural Resources Canada - National Assessment http://adaptation.nrcan.gc.ca/assess/2007/index_e.php
Environment Canada – Adaptation Impacts Research Division http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/airg/index_e.cfm
Ontario Ministry of Environment http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/air/climatechange/index.php
Contact us: Burton Dickinson Consulting Ltd. www.burton-dickinson.com
THANK YOU
